The present invention relates to an agitator for mixing or blending various products.
In particular, the present invention has been developed with respect to agitators for mixing or blending paints, varnishes or the like, generally placed in containers preferably having a substantially cylindrical shape, of the type comprising:
a general support structure; PA1 a first framework resiliently connected to the support structure; PA1 a second framework which is associated with the first framework with a general capacity for relative oscillation; PA1 holding means associated with the second framework for clamping at least one of the containers containing the products to be mixed; PA1 operating means which are further provided for driving an orbital movement of at least part of the second framework relative to a reference axis which is fixed relative to the first framework.
In the current practice for producing a range of paints having, for example, a series of different colour shades, a base paint, generally a white paint, is usually mixed with one or more coloured pigments which are added in proportions such that the desired colour shade is ensured overall when they have been mixed and homogenized with the base paint.
When paints are prepared according to the above mixing methods, it is increasingly necessary to produce different quantities from time to time depending on the demands and immediate needs of the users. In particular, a range of preferred amounts although not limiting, in the preparation of the paints and their mixtures can vary from small fractions of a liter to approximately 30-40 liters.
The conventional mixing methods provide for different types of methods and agitators depending on the overall quantity of components to be mixed and their physical and chemical properties. For large amounts of relatively fluid paints, a machine of the type comprising a mechanical stirrer which is immersed in the paint is generally used and, for example, blends the components with a rotary motion. These machines are generally used only in large plants producing large amounts of paints since they do not allow the colour shade to be changed quickly without the entire stirrer being replaced, an operation which is generally complicated and expensive, especially for small amounts of paint in a broad spectrum of colours.
For viscous, heavy and dense products and for medium-large amounts, apparatus with a gyroscopic effect are used in which the container for the paint to be blended is rotated about at least one axis. These machines are quite bulky and heavy and have long mixing times because the forces of inertia derived from the gyroscopic movement and from the masses involved increase when the amount of paint blended increases.
For small or very small amounts, mixing is usually carried out manually which, in addition to involving long operating times, does not guarantee a satisfactory result in terms of homogeneity of the paint.